Music…
I have been listening to songs about social issues ever since I can remember. I grew up in Los Angeles the 1960s, and turning on the radio, I heard a variety of songs by Joan Baez, Marvin Gaye, Peter, Paul & Mary, CSNY and Phil Ochs. At the time, I knew a lot of singers were upset about things (Young folks walking round with their heads in the sky, the cities ablaze in the summertime...), but as a child, I didn't fully understand the deeper meaning.
…and history
Fast forward to 9/11 in 2001. President Bush said, "Why do they hate us?" I thought that was a good question, so I started doing some research. I learned some very interesting things about history.
In 2003, there was a worldwide movement to try to stop the war in Iraq from happening. Somehow, I heard some songs about that effort... and I was hooked. I searched the web for sites that offered free downloads of songs. YouTube didn't exist yet, so there wasn't any one place to look. There were some pretty famous people who were writing and performing these songs: Willie Nelson, Dar Williams, R.E.M., Cris Williamson & Holly Near, Neil Young, Steve Earle, and Michael Franti & Spearhead. There were many more I'd never heard of, for example, Beanie the Dog. I don't think he's had a hit recording since.
For the past five years or so, I've been teaching about the history behind not only songs from this period but from other places and eras, for example, the Spanish Civil War. The students here in Japan have said they found the courses enlightening and useful in putting names and faces of real-life participants to the boring textbook history they learned in school.
Building a community
And that brings me to why I'm starting this newsletter. To encourage young people - English language learners in Japan in particular - to get their feet wet with history and music and the people who create both. I also hope it will encourage native English speakers who lived during these eras to share their experiences.
I invite you and other who are interested in social issues - and music - to join this community for some interesting discussions about the songs.
I'm so excited to learn about how history and music connect!
Gorgeous, headless, Joan, it's been so long since I listened to her.